1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to firearm supports and more particularly to an adjustable brace for firearms used for hunting or target shooting and is particularly adapted for use in a tree mounted hunting stand or a hunter's blind and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that movement of a firearm just prior to and during its discharge usually results in a missed target, or at best, poor results. In order to fire accurately a hunter or a target shooter must be able to hold his firearm very still, particularly when firing at long range targets where only slight movement of the firearm results in great inaccuracy. Holding a firearm with out secondary or exterior support is difficult, particularly when hunters must remain prepared to fire over a long period of time, frequently at a target that remains in view for only a short period of time. The prior art discloses a number of devices that are designed to aid the hunter in maintaining his firearm at the ready and assists him in keeping the firearm steady while aiming at a target.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,390, issued to Henry Duke and U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,294, issued to Dennis McGuffee, both disclose devices that are attached to the hunter's body to provide support to one body part by bracing it against another body part. For example, the patent issued to Duke discloses an arm rest that is attachable to a belt around the hunter's waist and extends outwardly to engage the hunter's upper arm to provide support to the upper arm while the hunter holds a firearm. This device is particularly devised for the hunter as he moves through the woods searching for game. The McGuffee device provides support between the hunter's left elbow and his left knee and is particularly designed for a stationary seated position. Both the Duke and McGuffee devices are supported by the hunter's body, which does not provide the firm support necessary for accurate shooting.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,066 issued to Randall Canterbury, Sr., and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 348,215 issued to Terry Melhorn, both disclose firearm supports that are attached to stationary objects, the ground in the first case and a tree in the second case. The Melhorn device is a rod with screw threads at one end for screwing into a tree and a Y-shaped rest at the other end for supporting the firearm. The Canterbury rest supports the firearm in two positions, the forward portion of the stock usually gripped by the left hand of a right handed shooter and the area adjacent the trigger gripped by the right hand of the shooter. The firearm rotates about the left hand position providing the hunter with a limited field of fire if the body of the hunter is to remain relatively still, as even though the firearm may be rotated 360.degree. the hunter must scramble to new positions as the firearm rotates making it difficult to fire on moving game. The Canterbury support is primarily designed for firing upon fixed targets or targets with little range of movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,391 issued to Kenneth Klipp, discloses a clamp with a rotatable V support upon which to rest the firearm. The device is attached to a fixed structural member such as a stand or hunter's blind. Again, the butt of the firearm rotates about the axis of the support requiring the hunter to constantly shift his position as the firearm is rotated about the axis of the support. Excessive movement by the hunter reduces the effectiveness of the support when used to cover wide fields of fire.
Therefore it remains clear that there is a need for a support that may be fixed to a firm structure to provide solid support and yet allows the hunter to remain in basically the same position while the muzzle of a firearm is pivoted over 180.degree..